Door latching and starting apparatus



- y- 1952 L. F. SCHOELKOPF 2,601,933

DOOR LATCHING AND STARTING APPARATUS Filed D01;- 3, 1949 I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Fig. 4

| 66' l q IE3 Louis /-I .Schae/kopf INVENTOR.

Patented July 1, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT orr cs DOORILATCHING AND STARTING APPARATUS Louis E. Schoelkopf,'Madison, Wis. Application October 3, 1949; SerialNo."11-9,2'64

2 Claims. (01.225842) booster for operating a fork lever of the device to such position as to place the device in condition for crowdin the door tightly closed and specificalh for operating a spring mechanism to and through-a dead center-position. After 'the spring mechanism is operated past the dead center position the device including the lever is in condition to operatively pull the door closed tightly, supplementing the closing for'ceof th conventional door operator. A

Hence, it is another object of this invention to so actuate the fork lever by the same fluid under pressure which operates the conventional door operator and to utilize the spring mechanism during the door closing cycle of operation of the door to hold the door tightly into the closed position.

Ancillary objects and features of novelty will become apparent in following the description of the preferred form of the invention, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a plan view of a conventional door operator showing its arrangement broadly in connection with a door and structural elements such as a door jamb; V

Figure 2 is a sectional view of the door and buildin structure showing in elevation the door closer; H v c Figure 3 is a fragmentary view somewhat similar to that of Figure 2 but showing the doorand the door closer in a second position; r Figure 4 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the structure of the device; 1

.Figure 5 is a sectional :view taken on the-line 5-5 of Figure 4 and inthe direction of the arrows; I v r Figure 6 is an enlarged-sectional structural detail showing a part of the means effecting a dead center spring operator,.and; V,

Figure 7 is an enlarged sectional view offlthe roller and bracket which is adapted tojbe secured toadoor.

The prime field of utility .of the present-invention is in connection-with refrigerator "doors-or other types of doors or where sealing isiof importance. However, the door-closing dev-ice' may lie-employed wherever it is found desirable;

50 i2- to' bemoved to the 'closed position. Ailof this structure is employed as a l f. The door closer 'whic'h acts in-the nature 'of a :fluid pressure"responsivezmotor, is to be employed in connection with the described door operator 12 "The device may be used on various parts of a door as for exam-pie, at one corner when the corner has 'a, tendency to remain open slightly and the remainder of the door is closed. This condition 'may exist where the door is slightly warped.

In my patents numbered-1,508,580 and1,7l6,707, I have illustrated and described a dooroperator. lhe door closer may lee-employed in connection with this conventionaldoor operator, a portion of one modification of which is illustrated schematically in Figure i. As to the conventional structure, there is a stationary structural building member or element, as the door jamblii, together with a door 12 which is-'hinged at M. The door operator known in the trade as airlec consists of the essential elements of a base 1 6 having an adjustable arm 3 pivoted thereto and extending therefrom; The base is secured to the wall adjacent the door 12 or'to the, door jamb l'll. a

-A spring device 2-9 arranged to move to and through a dead center position, reacts on the base l t-and the root 2'2. This foot is secured to "the extensible arm 1-8. A cylinder-piston construc'tion' z l reacts on {the foot 22 and astationary pivotcarriedby the base it. An air pressure line '26 extends -to a valve generally indicated at 28 which-is operative in response to a position of travelof the door I 2. A sWing i-ng'arm 30 -is fixed at one end to the door -l'2 by a pivotal connect'ion andfixed at the other end to the extensible arm 1 8. In operation, fluid under pressure is-introdu'ced into the cylinder-piston construction 24 causing-pivotal movement'of the arm 18 as Well as -.theme mber 3B. When the cylinder-piston construction pivots about the base pivot as an axis, the valve 28 is closed. But, when the valve 28 is closed, "the spring construction 20 has moved past the dead-center position whereby the spring construction causes the door 12 to be forced to be full open or adjusted open position. Due to the linkage arrangement all ;of the elements :except the member 30 are in the same position as when' -the door was closed; Thenfin'troduction of fluid under pressure into the cylinder-piston construction causes movement of the springeonstruction to and thr'oughth'e dead center-positioni 'aga'in causing valve ZB' -Qperation for cessation-of fluid under pressure and'ca-usi-ng the d'oor door'operator or any other door operator. A conduit -34 extends from the valve 28 so that when air, liquid or other fluids are caused to flow into the cylinder-piston construction 24, the same fluid flow is occasioned in the conduit 34. The conduit opens into a cylinder 36 which is pivoted by means of the pin 38 to the flange 40. The flange 42 is similar to the flange 40 and also has a pivot pin therein for the cylinder. The two flanges 40 and 42 are rigidly secured to the bottom 44 and the flanges together with the bottom form a base which is adapted to be secured to the door jamb,

wall or other structural element adjacent the I door 12.

A piston including a head 46 as well as a piston rod 48 is reciprocatively disposed in the cylinder 38. The lower end of the piston rod is pivoted to the fork lever 50 having a slot 52 therein, by means of a pivot pin 54. The fork leveris also pivoted to the base by means of a pin 55. It is now apparent that upon operation of the piston rod 48, the fork lever will be correspondingly operated.

Means, including a spring 58 for causing operation of the fork lever is pivoted at one end to the base by means of intersecting pins 68 and 62. A rod 84 has the pin 62 fixed thereon and is slidingly disposed in a tube 66. The tube 66 has a collar 68 at the lower end thereof and the rod 64 has threads at the upper end thereof. The threads accommodate a nut and a washer which forms an upper seat for the spring 58, while the lower end of the spring employs the collar 68 as a seat.

A pivot pin 12 is disposed in suitable openings formed in the lower end of the tube 66 and in the fork lever 50.

A bracket 18 having aroller generally indicated at 88 supported thereby, is fixed to the door by any suitable means, as bolts. The roller 80 consists of a shank 82 having a sleeve 84 rotatably disposed thereon, which is held in place by means of the thrust bearing type pin 86 supported in the annular groove 88 in the shank 82.

Two cyclesof operation will be described at this time. The first cycle concerns the swinging of the door l2 from the tightly closed position to the open position. The structure of the door operator causes the door to open by employing fluid under pressure as described. However, this fluid under pressure causes only a portion of the swinging movement of the door, the spring structure 20 causing the remainder of the door operation. After the fluid underpressure has served its purpose, the valve 28 is operated by a member on the cylinder-piston structure 24 causing the residual in the cylinder-piston structure 24 to be exhausted.

With the door in the act of closing (Figure 3) the spring 58 is under compression, the lower end pivoted to the lever 50 and slightly over dead center, limited by the stops 5| and 53. The stops are fixed to the fork lever 50 and engage the sides and 42 of the base in their travel. At this time, the door is being closed, and the roller 88 engages one of the bifurcations of the fork lever, very easily throwing the spring 58 over the dead center position. Thereafter, the spring 58 expands with considerable force bringing the lever 58 into a vertical or second position, as shown in Figure 2, the roller 80 sliding between the bifurcations of the ,fork lever to a comparatively short radius fromthe pivot pointof the lever 50, thus allowing the spring 58 to exert a strong force in holding thej-outer edge of the door;

closed tightly. ,i

In order to open the door, a strong force is required to overcome this holding force and to again compress the spring 58 to the over-center position, as shown in Figure 3. Presumably, a fluid door operator, for example, the one schematically shown, is employed to open the door. The fluid under pressure is used in the door closer device. Fluid passes through the tube 34 after passing through the short length 35 of rubber hose, into the cylinder 36 driving the piston 46 and its rod 48 downwardly. This pivots the lever 50 back to the position shown in Figure 3, that is passed the dead center position, allowing the release of the roller from the lever. The door is then free to go to its fully open position. The spring 58 having passed the dead or over center position and the lever movement being limited by the stops 5| and 53, the lever remains in this position until it is again engaged by the roller 80 to initiate another door closing cycle of operation.

In order to adjust the amount of force necessary to compress the spring 58, the nut 89 threaded on the rod 64 is adjusted, since this nut acts as a seat 9| holder for the upper end of the spring 58.

Since the fluid under pressure is introduced into the cylinder 35 to cause piston 46 operation, there must be provision for exhaust of this fluid. However, there being provision for exhausting fluid in the door operator, it is unnecessary to provide an additional structure for the cylinder 35. The tube 34 is employed as a conductor for exhaust fluid and is controlled by the valve structure 28.

The same exhaust takes place with respect to the cylinder 3'6 so that the air pressure employed for closing the door l2, in no way affects the operation of the door closer during the door closing cycle of operation.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

In combination, a door and a stationary structural member adjacent the door, a door closer comprising a base secured to the member, a pressure responsive motor pivotally attached to the base and including a piston rod, a substantially M-shaped lever member having a pair of limbs and a V-shaped portion joining an end of each of said limbs, a roller secured to the door for engagement between the limbs to operate said lever member and to be operated by said lever member during opening and closing cycles of operation of the door, a pivot extending through the apex of said V-shaped portion and paralleling the pivot for the pressure responsive motor, a second pivot securing the piston rod to the joined end of one of said limbs, a telescoped rod element composed of two slidably engaged sections each having an outer end, a third pivot securing the outer end of one section to the joined end of the other limb and paralleling the other pivots, a fourth pivot securing the outer end of the other section to the base adjacent the pivot for the motor, abutments at the outer ends of the sections, and a coil spring embracing the sections and biased between the abutments to yieldingly urge the sections apart, said motor including means for introducing fluid under pressure therein to move the rod and impart pivotal movement of the lever member about the first named pivot and shift the third pivot toward the fourth pivot thereby compressing the spring.

2. The combination of claim 1. wherein said base includes a pair of spaced flanges supporting all of said pivots, and stop elements secured to 5 6 and projecting laterally from opposite sides of one of said limbs for engaging the flanges to UNITED STATES PATENTS limit pivotal movement of said lever member by Number Name a said motor. 652,828 Bailey July 3, 1900 LQUIS F. SCHOELKOPF 5 1,269,467 Leonard et a1. July 11, 1918 2,129,926 Gaske et al Sept 13, 1938 REFERENCES CITED 2,190,653 Dunn Feb. 20, 1940 2,304,556 Dunn Dec. 8, 1942 The following iefeiences are of record in the 2,343,316 Newkirk Mar- 71944 file of this patent: 10 

